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Last fall, we told you about the Analogue Super Nt. This was the clone console to end all clone consoles. In fact, even calling it a clone system does it a disservice. Unlike the NES or SNES minis, this system’s hardware perfectly mimics the original Super Nintendo/Super Famicom. Being the retro-enthusiast that I am, just the mere thought of playing the Super Nt made me salivate. Thankfully, I had the privilege of being sent a unit to review a couple of weeks ago. It was tough to keep my mouth shut about it, but I can now finally fill you in on why the Super Nt provides the ultimate retro-gaming experience.

What makes the Super Nt special is its field-programmable gate array (FGPA). The FGPA is a chip that can be programmed to perform like another chip. This allows the device to function identically to the original hardware, which in this case, is the Super Nintendo. This provides users with an experience which is nearly indistinguishable from playing on an actual SNES. All one has to do is stick their favorite SNES and Super Famicom cartridges into the Super Nt and play away. However, the machine also has built-in functions that make it arguably better than the original Super Nintendo.

The Super Nt is similar in design to the original Super Famicom. Its rounded edges give it a slick look that is pleasing to the eye. Its size belies its heavy weight. You won’t strain anything moving it around, but it does have noticeable heft. This is a positive since you won’t have to worry about it sliding around your desk. The padding underneath the system also ensures it’ll stay in place. I received the classic SNES-themed system, but there’s also another one which looks like a Super Famicom. The black and translucent variants are also pretty great looking.

Setting up the system is straightforward. You simply plug in the provided AC adapter and HDMI cables into the back of the system and turn it on by pressing the power button on top. This launches an intro screen showing an animated version of the Analogue logo. What’s fun about this is that, each time you turn on the machine, you’re treated to a different animation. This leads to the main menu where one can run cartridges, play Super Turrican: Director’s Cut and Super Turrican 2, or go into settings. It’s a simple, no frills menu which I personally appreciate.

Though the Super Nt is not an emulator, it boasts features emulator users will find familiar. These features include video resolutions of 480p, 576p, 720p, and 1080p. You can adjust width, height, horizontal and vertical positions to get the image to fit just right on your TV or monitor. You can even crop the image as you see fit. There are various scaling options to enable, and of course, scanlines. In audio, you can enable and change the cartridge audio volume and swap left and right audio. The number of options available are admittedly a bit intimidating if you aren’t sure what it all means. With that said, I’m sure retro-gamers will love how much versatility the options provide.

You can customize your system to an extent. The system’s power light has two settings: “classic” (SNES) and “SF” (Super Famicom). The classic light’s primary color is purple, while the SF’s primary is red. You can change the light pattern from solid, swipe, flash, rolling, and throb. The power light’s primary colors are changeable as well. Even the system’s font is customizable. You can bypass the intro and menu altogether and go straight to the cartridge if you wish. Since the system is region-free, you can choose between NTSC and PAL, depending on the cartridge you’re using. Again, there is a lot to fiddle around with here and that’s a good thing.

Now let’s get to the good stuff: the games! Playing a game off a cartridge works exactly the way you’d expect. You stick the game in, select “run cartridge,” and you’re good to go. As mentioned before, you can set the system to play games the instant you turn it on. For the purposes of my test, I played Super Mario All-Stars (i.e. the world’s first great remake!), Donkey Kong Country, and Contra III. To play these titles, I used an original SNES controller and an 8Bitdo wireless controller.

I’ve been playing emulated games for years now. Because of that, the sharp and crisp visuals the system displayed shocked me. I don’t know what it is, but emulated games always seem to have a somewhat washed-out look, even on the SNES Classic Edition. This isn’t the case with the Super Nt. All of the colors were vibrant and distinct. I’m a big proponent of using scanlines when playing emulated games. This is mostly because they help to hide some of the imperfections of the image. I actually chose to turn scanlines off on the Super Nt because the games didn’t need them. They looked much better running without them. I don’t ever remember games on my old SNES looking this good.

The Super Nt also comes with Super Turrican: Director’s Cut and Super Turrican 2 in the actual system. Factor 5, the developers of Super Turrican, had to make a lot of concessions during the development of the original game. On the Super Nt, they can put back all of the content cut from the first game. This includes a new level with new music, more enemies, better sound effects and graphics, and a new way to use the beam weapon. The system even comes with a SNES-style Super Turrican: Director’s Cut box. The Super Turrican games aren’t as well-known as something like Super Mario World or Super Metroid, so it’s great to see both games get the star treatment on Super Nt.

Fans of classic SNES games will be happy to know there is absolutely zero lag when playing cartridges on the Super Nt. Even the best emulator will still have lag to some extent. This is a big reason why retro purists turn up their nose at emulators. During all my time playing emulated games, I never actually noticed any input lag. Feeling the responsiveness of games running on the Super Nt was definitely an eye-opening experience. I love my custom-made raspberry pi and both of Nintendo’s mini systems, but the Super Nt is making it harder to justify playing those devices. Taking away even minor input lag makes such a huge difference.

While inserting games is a breeze, the same wasn’t true for taking them out. Like the Retron 5, the Super Nt does not relinquish cartridges easily. I had to apply considerable force to get the cartridge to eject. As you would imagine, this caused some nervousness. I didn’t want to ruin my unit or my (friend’s) games! Thankfully, the more I used it, the easier it became to take cartridges out. In fact, I can now swap out cartridges like nothing. Just be aware that you may encounter the same issue I did with whatever game you choose to insert first.

I give Christopher Taber and his team of engineers at Analogue a great deal of respect for what they’ve achieved with the Super Nt. They’ve given the world the very best way to experience classic SNES games. The fact the unit costs $189.99 only sweetens the deal. Because of this device, I have now begun to re-buy SNES games from my youth. I don’t ever want to touch another emulated system because of the superior experience the Super Nt provides. If you love classic gaming as I do, you owe it to yourself to buy the Super Nt. It truly is a remarkable device.